LGBTQ

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people use the same planning documents as anyone. In that sense, nothing is different about Life Planning for LGBT people. However, LGBT people face challenges that heterosexual people do not face. And, this requires using the same planning documents in different ways.

A Domestic Partner Contract is rarely used, and perhaps unenforceable, for legally married couples. There are so many laws that touch the responsibilities of one spouse to another that virtually all aspects of a legal marriage are defined somewhere in the law.

Living Wills express personal wishes for end of life care. They state what life-prolonging measures an individual desires, and what measures the individual chooses to refuse. Perhaps more than any other document, a living will is deeply personal and requires that one consider the end of life.

A Health Care Surrogate designation is one of the most important documents for GLBT people. It formally appoints one or more persons to make health care decisions when the individual is temporarily or permanently unable to make his or her own decisions. It permits the surrogate to visit and obtain medical records.

A succession plan is a written document that provides for the continued operation of a business in the event that the owner—or a key member of the management team—leaves the company, is terminated, becomes incapacitated, retires, or dies. It details the changes that will take place as leadership is transferred from one generation to the next.

A small business may operate under various legal forms. The most common of these, particularly for new startups, is the sole proprietorship. The individual who owns the business receives all of its income and is responsible for all of the business’s debts—including other liabilities to which the business may be subject.

A succession plan is a written document that provides for the continued operation of a business in the event that the owner—or a key member of the management team—leaves the company, is terminated, becomes incapacitated, retires, or dies. It details the changes that will take place as leadership is transferred from one generation to the next.